


One New Fact

by ShadowoftheLamp



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, D-Stabilized, Gen, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 07:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10271672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowoftheLamp/pseuds/ShadowoftheLamp
Summary: "When I really just wanted the honor of destroying you."Valerie couldn't help a grin as Phantom screeched, but it fell as a ring appeared around his waist.________One new piece of information scrambles all the other facts she'd thought she'd known.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Every time I see D-Stablized, I wonder about this, so I guess it was time to write it.

"When I really just wanted the honor of _destroying_ you."

Valerie couldn't help a grin as Phantom screeched, but it fell as a ring appeared around his waist, splitting in two and traveling up and-

No.

No _way_.

That was impossible.

Phantom was like Danielle?

Black hazmat disappeared, revealing stonewashed jeans and a loose white tee, the symbol turning to a red oval-

A familiar one.

Faintly, she heard Danielle scream, but she'd gone numb, eyes unable to pull away from Danny Fenton. Danny Fenton, who'd been her most hated enemy until half a second ago. Danny Fenton, who was cute and dorky and kind and...

Danny Fenton, whose eyelids had slipped shut and was plummeting towards the pavement.

Valerie and Danielle dove at the same time, but Valerie was faster, the electrical cord still tying Danny to her board. She landed on the concrete with him loosely draped over her arms, and Danielle dropped down in front of her.

"You... You tricked me! Let him go!" Danielle held up a fist, but the moment ecto energy began leaking out of it, one of her feet lost its form, becoming a gooey blob.

"This... you did this! Your illusion won't fool me!" Valerie held up a hand, the palm of her suit reshaping into a blaster.

"I can't- that wasn't me! Danny's hurt, you made him do this!"

"You _knew_ he was like this?"

"We're cousins, and we're both- just- don't hurt him!" Danielle's eyes watered, and her fist shook.

"You're a ghost. One related to Phantom somehow. Why should I trust you?"

"Because... because..." Danielle's gaze darted from side to side. "Because I don't want to hurt you! I told you, I'm here because Danny's the only one who can help me. I _can't_ hurt you, _please_ , just don't hurt him. He's my only hope." Her voice quivered.

"Nice trick, but-" Valerie started, before Danielle lunged forward and collided with her, knocking them both unto the pavement and pressing Danny between them.

"Then can you trust me if I'm a human too?" Danielle's eyes were wide, and a white ring identical to the one Phantom had had appeared, wiping up and away to reveal a scared little girl with messy black hair and blue eyes.

"It's... another trick. You can't be...!"

At that, Danielle thrust her wrist at Valerie's face. "Feel my pulse. Danny's too. We're not just ghosts."

Valerie's back was pressed against the ground, and she kicked in her scanner with a thought, locking on to Danielle's face.

_**"Human. Preteen. Elevated heart and breathing rate."** _

Her suit couldn't lie. Her eyes and senses could, but the suit couldn't.

She swallowed, turning to Danny.

_**"Human. Teen. Heart and breathing slow. Unconscious. Electrical burns on chest. May require medical help."** _

" _Please_." Danielle pleaded. "Vlad will kill me, and Danny too if he gets his hands on him."

"Vlad Masters is a good man." Valerie pushed Danielle off of her, scooping up Danny. "He must have made some kind of mistake, is all."

"Hardly. Vlad's my-" Danielle's voice choked, and she took a deep breath. "My-"

"Ugh, what... What hit me?"

Both girls turned to stare at Danny, whose eyes blinked slowly open.

"V-valerie? What-" His eyes shot open and he leapt out of her arms, falling into a fighting stance on wobbly legs. "H-how much did you see?"

"She saw everything." Danielle grabbed his hand, and Valerie was suddenly struck with how similar they looked. She could be his sister.

"Everything?" Danny took a deep breath. "So, scale of one to ten. How dead am I?"

"You're human right now, so I'd say about fifty percent." Danielle nudged him, and Danny stared at her for a moment before breaking into nervous, snorting laughter.

"Danny?" Valerie was quiet. Almost inaudible.

"Valerie." Danny took a slow step forward, wincing. "Never thought you'd find out like this."

"You. Phantom. What- how-"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "The cliffnotes version is I fell into my parent's ghost portal, and it zapped me half-ghost."

"And all this time, you were the one who- no. No, this can't be happening." Valerie turned her back and started pacing. "Danny Fenton can't be Phantom."

"The name was originally a joke, but Sam and Tuck both liked it." Danny volunteered. "Danny Phantom. It's a play off of my regular name, see-"

Valerie whirled around, blaster protruding from her wrist and pointed right between Danny's eyes.

"This is a ruse. To make me lose my game."

"Valerie, I promise. I'm not lying."

"What is my favorite topping on a corn dog?"

"What the-" Danielle asked, but Danny just squeezed her hand.

"Lots of mustard, a little ketchup, and a quarter squeeze of relish. Your favorite Dumpty Humpty album is Code-Crushers, and your favorite color alternates between red and purple, depending on the day."

Valerie said nothing, but the gun clicked as it disassembled back into the suit.

"Danny?" It was a little louder this time.

"Yeah." He held up a hand, and green ectomist floated off his fingers. "Surprise?"

"You said it was the ghost portal. Was that how it happened to her too?" Valerie waved in the vague direction of Dani.

"It's how it happened to Vlad." Danielle's said quickly, clearly eager to change the subject

"Vlad? No way!" Valerie's fists curled up, and Danny started talking fast before she starting swinging.

"Vlad's been my arch-rival since we met. We've agreed we can't tell each other's secret, but now that you know mine..." Danny bit his lip. "I know you look up to him, but he's nothing but trouble. He used your equipment and you to spy on me, and-"

"Shut up! That can't be true, he... Vlad helped me get a better apartment, he's given me a second chance!"

"Because you're useful to him!" Danny sucked in a deep breath. "Look. Did you ever wonder why he singled me out when he became mayor? It was payback for everything I've done to him."

"I... I..." Valerie's gaze darted between the two half-ghosts. "Danny, I trusted you. But Phantom..."

"I know. But I promise, no more secrets now." Danny held out a hand. "I always meant to tell you, but it was just... Never the right time."

"All those stolen jewels?"

"A ringmaster named Freakshow with a ghost-controlling crystal ball."

"The mayor?"

"Overshadowed by a ghost named Walker to make things harder for me."

Her voice caught in her throat. "The dog."

"I promise, he wasn't mine. He just kept coming back to me because I was the only other ghost around. You just got caught in the middle."

"All this time, I was driven by how much I hated you. How can I trust you now?" All the fight had seeped out of her voice.

"You don't have to trust me. I'd like it, but I know it will take a while." He held a hand, and those rings appeared again, washing away Danny Fenton and returning the toxic green gaze of Danny Phantom. "Just fight with me."

She didn't shake it, but set their palms together, curling her fingers around the back of his glove. He did the same for her, and grinned.

Dani, still human, slowly smiled. "So you're not going to...?"

"Not now, kid." Valerie smiled back, even though her brain was racing, resetting a puzzle that she hadn't realized she was missing half the pieces of. Everything was upside down and backwards, but she'd adapt. She'd survive.

Like she always did.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are great, but comments are super duper amazing.


End file.
